A jaw-dropping trip of high highs, low lows, and twists and turns that left many people feeling like they'd been turned entirely upside down — sometimes all in less than a week.

The year began with Steve Jobs' introduction of the iPad, a device which increasingly looks to be to print what the iPod was to music, and ended with...well, where to begin: Julian Assange, Sarah Palin, and rallies, rallies, rallies.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

With that in mind The Wire has put together a list of the 50 most influential people in media.

They may not all be getting the biggest ratings, or possess the most recognizable faces, but in a quickly changing media world they are exerting an unmistakable influence on how, where, and when we consume information.

Disagree with our picks? Let us know what you think in the comments or Twitter: #tw50

Acknowledgements:

We would like to thank the many readers who took the time to send us nominations. We would also like to thank intern Joseph Alexiou for his extensive work on this list. Also involved in the selection or creation of The Wire 50: Henry Blodget, Glynnis MacNicol, Nicholas Carlson, Ujala Sehgal, Jessica Liebman, and Gabrien Symons.